


The Plight of Frogs

by Mntsnflrs



Category: Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator
Genre: Frogs, I love him, Insecurity, M/M, amazing daughters, brians route saved my soul, but supportive boyfriends are what im here for, dads, dadsona still has some issues, love and support
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-25
Updated: 2017-07-25
Packaged: 2018-12-06 20:33:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11608413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mntsnflrs/pseuds/Mntsnflrs
Summary: Even with Brian as your friend... lover... boyfriend... whatever. Even with Brian in a close and welcome proximity to you, it can still be difficult not to compete.





	The Plight of Frogs

**Author's Note:**

> Brian is the man of my dreams and I love him so... here is this. Because I love him and mutual respect and support.

Cole woke up in despair. _Despair._ He climbed out of bed as carefully as possible, but a marching band couldn’t have woken Brian in that moment, face down in the pillow and snoring loudly enough to torment the dead.

It was actually really cute, but Cole was too busy having an existential crisis to linger on Brian’s broad shoulders, or the way he hugged the sheets in Cole’s absence. Okay, he needed to think. Away from Brian’s shoulders and freckles. And away from the snoring. No one could think well with that background noise.

When he made his way downstairs, the sky was still dark, but he made coffee anyway. No sleeping right now. Now was for careful consideration and deliberation.

“Dad?”

He winced. Busted.

Cole turned on Amanda with a glare, crossing his arms. “Young lady, it’s far too late for you to be awake. What are you doing?”

Amanda just gave him the stink eye. Admittedly, the frog pyjamas he was wearing probably lessened the stern dadness, but Daisy had given them to Cole for his birthday, and they were his favourite. He loved frogs.

“Panda, shall we make a frog sanctuary in the garden? We could get some tarp and put some shallow pools for them.”

“As much as I love frogs dad, I feel like there might be some other reason you’re awake at three in the morning brewing coffee. Just because Brian can sleep through you falling your way down the stairs doesn’t mean I can.”

But now he was really caught up in the frogs. Maybe Brian could help. Brian was good at outdoors stuff. Curse him. Wait, were there poisonous frogs in their area?

“Are there poisonous frogs around here?”

Amanda rolled her eyes before coming in for a hug that Cole welcomed, albeit with surprise. Amanda wasn’t often the instigator. She smelt like berry hair product and sleep, and he held her close for a minute. Admittedly, it was great. High on the scale of daddy-daughter hugs.

“Dad,” she said softly. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“You tricked me with a calming hug, you witch.”

She giggled. “That’s me. A witch that gives people hugs to lower their defences and then strikes when they’re vulnerable. It’s pure evil.”

“I’m lucky to have such an evil daughter.” Cole said fondly. “Nice isn’t as much fun.”

“So tell me pops, please. Don’t make me worry.”

Ouch, right in the heart. “It’s nothing sweetie, I’m just being silly.”

Amanda inhaled deeply. “Daaaaaaaaaaaaaa-“

“ALRIGHT, alright,” he conceded. “I was just thinking about Father’s Day. You always get me something with ‘World’s Best Dad’ on it. But I bet Daisy does too. And then there will be a contradiction. What if Brian gets insecure about his place on the dad tier? What if I do? It’s probably going to be me. But Father’s Day has always been a day for us. I love Brian and Daisy, I do, but I just don’t know how to feel about it not being us two. Will we have to battle for the title of Best Dad? Who has to do the most to earn it? I thought I was past this, but...”

Amanda was silent for a moment. “Dad, did you and Grandpa get along?”

Cole shifted slightly, arms still wrapped around his baby. “Not really. He wasn’t... the best father figure.”

“And now you feel that, because Brian is so great, your own position is being threatened?”

He deflated a little. “Why aren’t you majoring in Psychology?”

“Because I can only analyse you, and that wouldn’t earn me enough cash money to buy every dog.”

“Every dog?”

“Every dog.”

“Fair enough. I guess you’re right. I’m being unfair to Brian again.” God, he felt so shitty. And Father’s Day wasn’t even _close._

“Dad, Brian is awesome. So is Daisy. And of course Maxwell. They’re all amazing people, and I’m really happy we’ve found this. But you’re my dad. Just like Brian is Daisy’s dad. We’re a family, but I already have my dad. I’m sure Daisy feels the same, as much as she loves you. Would you want to have Daisy love you more than she loves Brian?”

“No, of course not!” He protested. When Amanda put it like that, he felt even more unreasonable.

She hugged him tighter for a second before pulling away and kissing his cheek. “I love you dad, but you need to chill. I’ve never met a more anxious person, and you need to realise that no one is judging you. I’m going back to bed now, as there is a fat corgi waiting for butt snuggles.”

“I love you too, Panda.” He replied, kind of lost. “You're the best thing that has ever happened to me, you know that? I’m so lucky to have such a wonderful daughter.”

She waved a dismissive hand. “I gave you years of trouble before reaching this stage, so don’t sweat it. Remember the horse concerts?”

Ah, the horse concerts. Sir Horsington had not been as good at opera as Amanda had seemed to think, and Cole had sat through hours of his seven year old butchering Italian masterpieces. Painful but pleasant memories.

With a last wave, Amanda left Cole to his very early morning coffee and his plans for a frog sanctuary. And his badly smothered fears. But mostly the frog sanctuary. Whenever he went to the mall there were always little gardening shops open that sold porcelain mushroom ornaments. That would look cool. He had lots of shaded places that would suit frogs. But not poisonous ones. Poisonous frogs were not welcome. Amanda had grown out of her licking phase, but he didn’t trust her fully yet.

He was staring out of the window when he felt the tickle of beard against the back of his neck, and the soft press of lips. Instinctively, he leaned back, and Brian’s arms fell around him like big, warm, welcome cage.

“You’re up early.”

“Oh, you know. Thinking about frogs. It’s Daisy’s fault; she was the one that got me these pyjamas.”

“Frogs?”

“Could you help me build a frog sanctuary in the back yard? In the shade somewhere. And by help I mean you dig while shirtless, and I watch and admire.”

Brian huffed a laugh against Cole’s neck and kissed the same spot again. The spot behind Cole’s ear that made his toes curl and his nerves short circuit. He leaned his head back and welcomed the kisses smattered across his cheek, nose, and forehead. Brian avoided Cole’s lips entirely however, which was not part of their kissing deal. He opened his eyes, annoyed, but Brian just chuckled.

“I was waiting for that expression you get. Your nose wrinkles and you pout when you don’t get what you want. It’s cute.”

Cole was going to protest, but then they were kissing, and Brian tasted like mouthwash and Cole tasted like coffee, and gross, the tastes didn’t mix at all. But it was Brian. And he loved Brian even more than he cared about mixing mint and coffee.

They pulled away, and Brian kissed his nose again. “I like this look even more.”

Cole had just been kissed senseless, and he was pretty sure he was just staring at Brian with his eyes half closed and his mouth still kind of wet, but whatever. Not like it was something to argue over.

“Amanda woke me up and told me you were down here angsting about Father’s Day.”

The title of Greatest Daughter was to be revoked at the earliest possible opportunity.

“Thank you for gossiping about me, but I’m fine.”

“I wish you wouldn’t hide things like this. It’s like you want me to worry.”

Damn, another worrier. They were a household of insecurities.

And again, it worked. Cole sighed, dropping his head to Brian’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.” He said miserably. “I don’t want to compete anymore. I love you. I love Daisy. I’m just not good at...”

“Sharing dad stuff. I get it. You think I don’t feel the same way? We’ve both spent the past couple of years as single dads. It’s hard to get out of that and let someone close again. But the point is, we both try. And when one of us struggles, the other is here to help. That’s what a partnership is, right?”

“Yeah. You’re just the perfect dad, Brian, and don’t get me wrong, I love you for it. You care so much, and you’re such a kind, loving guy. I adore you. But sometimes it all gets a little overwhelming. Amanda thinks I’m insecure because my own dad was kind of shitty, which makes sense.”

Brian laughed, full of mirth. “I’m not perfect. We’re still in the honeymoon phase, that’s all. I always lose socks, and I’m terrible with fruit. I hate it, so I can’t get Daisy to eat it either. Whenever I try to read a book, no matter the book, I fall asleep. Doesn’t matter where I am, I just conk out right there and then. And you’ve got nothing to be insecure about. You’re an idealistic dad too. You have a wonderful daughter because you raised her right. You can parallel park like a pro. I have never seen someone perfect the sprinkler move on the dance floor quite so beautifully. Because your hair is so long, it’s like, no matter how Daisy wants her hair to look, you can style it exactly as she imagined. You write children’s books, for goodness sake.”

“Are we having a compliment war again?”

“It’s not a war, it’s a gentle dispute. Look, we’re both inexperienced. But we love each other and the girls, right? And we’re willing to try. Things will get easier.”

Cole leaned up and kissed Brian again. “I love you so much. What did I do to deserve you?”

“Pretended to like fishing. That takes some dedication.”

“That’s true. And I had to deal with Amanda when she was a biter. You must be my delayed reward.”

Brian raised a brow and stroked a hand through his beard. “But I thought you liked it when I bite?”

There was the sound of retching from the stairs. “I am literally going to vomit out of my eyeballs.”

Cole laughed, his heart light again. “If that were possible, I’m sure you would have found a way to do it already, Panda.”

Daisy’s voice joined the fray. “That’s true. Amanda, it isn’t possible to vomit from your eyes because-“

“Okay, I get it sis. We know they’re fine now, so let’s get back to bed, yeah?”

“Goodnight, girls!” Brian called, pulling Cole closer. He was big and warm and safe. Brian.

Once their doors had closed firmly, Cole drained the rest of his coffee with a grimace. Room temp coffee wasn’t fun. “Well, I won’t be going back to sleep any time soon. Wanna watch Moulin Rogue with me?”

Brian cocked his head. “Sure. A strange choice, but sure.”

“Trust me, it cleanses you. Crying over Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor is cathartic. Good for the soul.”

Brian laughed again. “Whatever you want, baby. And tomorrow morning we’ll start planning that frog sanctuary, okay?”

“Okay. I love you, Brian.”

“I love you more.” Brian replied with a great, sparking smile.

Cole felt fire in his stomach as his own mouth twisted into a grin. “Oh it’s _on,_ you sexy lumberjack.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed and love Brian, Daisy, and Amanda as much as I do xo


End file.
